We are home from the PPAI Expo and wow – we saw so much, learned even more, and had a great time connecting with old and new friends!It was great to attend the 2019 PPAI Expo with our whole team because there is so much to take in and we were able to have three sets of eyes.Also, having three people let us be very organized about what we saw, learned, and visited!Every year at the PPAI Expo is a great experience and 2019 certainly did not disappoint.

Preparing for Year Ahead with the 2019 PPAI Expo

We love that the PPAI Expo is at the beginning of the year because it allows us to see the latest and greatest products while our clients are preparing marketing strategies for the year ahead.We have projects on the horizon for clients and, knowing that, we were able to connect the right products with the coming projects.

What We Saw at the 2019 PPAI Expo

Tech promotional products have been popular for a while and this year was no exception.Wireless chargers for phones are all the rage.They are easy to brand and everyone needs a phone charger.The upside of a promotional wireless phone charger is that it will likely be used often so your brand will constantly be in front of whoever receives your promotional product.Additionally, we saw some cool octopus-style charging cords that can charge multiple devices, of different kinds (smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.), at once.

Our Takeaways from the 2019 PPAI Expo

The best part about the 2019 PPAI Expo is not necessarily the event itself, but all that we learn and take home to our clients.We are most excited about a movement in our industry called PromoCares.With PromoCares, all of our clients have access to supplies in our industry that give back to others in some way.If you’ve read our blog before, you know that we believe strongly in not just connecting the dots for our clients but serving the community in which we live and leveraging the power of our clients to support organizations that give back.

We cannot wait to share all that we learned at the conference with our clients.If you are planning your 2019 marketing calendar or are ready to plan your next promotional products campaign, we at Connect the Dots would love to meet with you. We would be happy to share with you about the latest and greatest products in our industry and how you can utilize promotional products to promote your business and encourage brand loyalty.

Connect the Dots Works with Local Arizona Charitable Organization to Provide “Cookies for Troops”

At Connect the Dots, we believe it is important to give back to our community and those that serve our community and nation.We were so thrilled to participate in “Cookies for Troops,” which is an annual holiday cookie drive for our troops.The holidays are a time for gathering with friends and family but many of our service men and women will be spending the holidays overseas, apart from their friends and family.They do so in service to our country and by sending them a holiday care package it is a small way to say thank you for their dedicated service and send a little holiday cheer their way!

Working Together with PC Links & SRP Vets to Organize “Cookies for Troops”

In partnership with PC Links and SRP Vets, we gathered and packaged homemade cookies to send to service men and women overseas.Not only is the the collection of, packaging, and transportation of the cookies to troops organized but, if there are specific service members that participants or donators know, cookies can be sent directly to them!

Thanking U.S. Service Men & Women Overseas with “Cookies for Troops”

On December 3rd, we gathered with SRP Vets and other volunteers to fill 44 boxes with homemade cookies, holiday cards, and other essentials.The packages were shipped out December 3rd and 4th to the dedicated service men and women overseas for whom we are so thankful!

Some More Pictures from the Fun Event:

THANKS TO PC Links and SRP Vets FOR PUTTING TOGETHER “COOKIES FOR TROOPS!”

WBEC-West Winter Celebration & Impact Awards

December is a month filled with celebration, gathering with friends and colleagues old and new,looking back on the previous year, and looking forward to the year to come.This week Connect the Dots Promotions has the honor of hosting the WBEC-West Winter Celebration & Impact Awards. WBEC-West is a regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a coalition of corporations, WBEs and regionally focused women’s business organizations. We are so proud to be a part of this organization and are thrilled to be hosting this year’s Winter Celebration & Impact Awards.

Giving Back to Diaper Bank of Central Arizona

At Connect the Dots, we strongly believe in giving back to the community in which we live and are so happy that the event has partnered with Diaper Bank of Central Arizona to gather diapers for those in need. So, if you are attending the event and would like to donate, please donate packs of child or adult diapers that are new or unopened/unused. Also, there is an urgent need for size 6 diapers.

WBEC-West Winter Celebration & Impact Awards Recipient: Karie Cowden!

In addition to having a great time at the event, we are thrilled to announce that Connect the Dots’ very own owner, Karie Cowden, will be the recipient of the WBEC-West Impact Award which recognizes the work Karie has done for WBEC-West and the WBE Community.Wow, what a tremendous honor!

Celebrate with Entertainment from DanceMotion: The North Pole Flamingo

Last but not least, the WBEC-West Winter Celebration & Impact Awards will be filled with fun, food, and holiday cheer that will be enhanced by DanceMotion. DanceMotion is one of the Valley’s premiere youth dance companies and they will be presenting a performance from their show, North Pole Flamingo! This is sure to be great entertainment you will not want to miss!

It has come to the time of year known as the ‘holiday season’ and with that, as well as the end of the calendar year, comes a lot of celebration.Everyone enjoys being appreciated and rewarded for a year of hard work and customer loyalty.First up on the holiday agenda is Thanksgiving and that reminds us that we have a lot to be thankful for.Within the business world, we are thankful for our business, thankful for our employees, thankful for our customers, thankful for our friends and partners in our industry.And, it is exactly that thankful spirit that we want to channel when we order holiday promotional products or year-end promotional products to give as gifts.

While there are promotional products for any budget, this is the time of year to really impress employees and customers with your thankfulness for the previous year and get them excited for the year to come.Regardless of what holidays you celebrate, there is always something to celebrate this time of year, so we have broken down holiday promotional products into 3 primary categories to help you choose your end-of-year gifts.The possibilities are endless so if you need help choosing or ordering your business holiday promotional products, Connect the Dots Promotions has the experience and knowledge you need to help you narrow down your choice and get your products ordered in time for the holiday season!

Holiday Promotional Products

Holiday Apparel Promotional Products

Promotional Jacket or Pullover

Everyone wants to be warm and cozy during the cold winter months and what better way to stay warm than with a cozy, branded jacket or pullover.A custom branded jacket or pullover is not only functional and very useful but a great marketing tool because it will share your brand wherever the wearer goes.

Promotional Hat

Everyone needs a great hat and with a stylish branded hat, your employee or customer will be happy to represent your brand on their head!

Promotional T-Shirt

You can never have too many t-shirts and a branded t-shirt can be a handy promotional product.You can encourage employees to wear their company shirt to work or company events and you can encourage customers to wear your shirt to your events or as part of a loyalty program.

Holiday Food Promotional Products

Promotional Chocolate, Popcorn, Nuts, Oh My!

It is pretty hard to go wrong giving someone a yummy treat! Whether you want to give a promotional food item to employees or customers, there is a myriad of options at a wide array of price points to accommodate any budget.Food is always a crowd pleaser and they will remember who was so generous while they happily snack the day away!

Holiday Gadget Promotional Products

Promotional Tech

Everyone loves technology.Anyone can always use a (or another!) PopSocket or portable Bluetooth speaker. You can print your brand right on it, a special message, a name or anything else you can think of and give the gift of technology this holiday season.

Promotional Water Bottle/Mug/Tumbler

Reusable water bottles, mugs, and tumblers are not only useful but eco-friendly.They reduce waste and save money so they are already great, but once they are branded with your company logo, they will be even better because they will be a mobile marketing tool!

Participating in the 10th Annual UMOM Walk to End Homelessness

At Connect the Dots, we are all about creating a community of connection.We love our clients and we love our community so any time we can bring them together in one way or another is a total win in our books.A community of connection pulls everyone together for a more impactful outcome.And, because we love our community and our clients, we are so proud to sponsor the 10th Annual UMOM Walk to End Homelessness.We have volunteered with UMOM for many years and are proud to support this great organization in any way that we can.And, not only will be participating in the event but we are going to be sponsoring a team in an effort to break a Guinness World Record!

How You Can Be a Part of a Guinness World Record

We want as many people as possible to participate in the UMOM Walk to End Homelessness because we will be breaking the Guinness World Record for the Largest Thong Sandal Race. The current record is 1,346 participants and this year we will break that record at the Phoenix Zoo!And, because we work to create a community of connection, one of our Connect the Dots Promotions Clients, McCarthy Building Co., has donated flip-flops for the event for teams to wear. We love when we can bring clients together and also support the community and make an effort to end homelessness!

The UMOM Walk to End Homelessness is a 1K race at the Phoenix Zoo that raises money and awareness for families, single women, and youth experiencing homelessness.You can choose to participate in the event as an individual, as part of a team, or as a sponsor!

Client Spotlight on Arizona Tutoring Company – Focus Tutoring

Working with clients on their marketing campaigns and promotional products is always an exciting opportunity. But, when we have the opportunity to work with clients that are serving and improving the community it is a more than an opportunity, it is a privilege. At Connect the Dots Promotions, we love partnering with clients to collaborate on developing unique and exciting promotional products. Recently, we had the opportunity to work with Focus Tutoring on new promotional products. Focus Tutoring is an Arizona tutoring company that connects skilled educators with youth in need. Their vision is that when young people learn how to navigate education, they can navigate their future.

How Focus Tutoring Supports & Educates Arizona Youth

Focus Tutoring recognizes an important need in Arizona – that over 38,000 children need the help of tutors. Homeless children or children in foster care struggle to get the educational support they need. That is where Focus Tutoring comes in. Focus Foundation of Arizona works to match children in need with skilled educators. Further, these educators help fill the gap of children’s educational needs through PSAT and ACT classes, test prep, subject tutoring, and skill support. Focus Tutoring partners with organizations that assist homeless and foster youth. And, you can support this great organization in two ways. First, you can donate to their foundation to support ongoing efforts to educate. And, you can partner with Focus Tutoring to help educate Arizona youth.

How Connect the Dots Created Custom Water Tumblers for Focus Tutoring

At Connect the Dots, we love what Focus Tutoring is all about and enjoyed creating unique promotional products for them. We worked with them to develop custom water tumblers to serve as gifts for new partners. They are able to give these tumblers out to individuals that join their team. And, the gift serves two purposes – a thank you and promotional tool. The Focus Tutoring logo is visible anywhere someone carries the water bottle. This is an inexpensive way to expand marketing and brand recognition. Also, we always encourage clients to focus on promotional products that fit their niche. By doing so, you expand your brand culture and foster goodwill. And, it is easy for tutors to carry their water to each client meeting so it is not only an attractive but practical promotional product.

We work hard to stay educated about the latest technology and trends in promotional products and the marketing industry. If you have questions about how you can use promotional products for marketing and branding, Connect the Dots is here to help! And, if you are interested in more information about how to support Arizona tutoring services, partner with Focus Tutoring!

Who UMOM Is

At Connect the Dots Promotions, we love working with businesses and organizations that give back to the community. UMOM New Day Centers is located in Phoenix, Arizona and has a mission to prevent and end homelessness. They do this using innovative strategies and housing solutions that meet the unique needs of each family and individual. UMOM was founded in 1964 and has been providing outstanding a place of safe shelter and outstanding supportive services since. And, with a priority of keeping families together, UMOM provides continuum care from an emergency shelter to transitional housing to permanent, affordable housing. Founder and President of Connect the Dots Promotions, Karie Cowden, is a Co-Chair for the UMOM Walk for Homeless Families & Youth. This important annual event supports the mission of ending the cycle of homelessness in Maricopa County.

There are a variety of ways to participate in the UMOM Walk for Homeless Families & Youth. You can participate by simply walking in the event. Also, you can sponsor the walk which is a great marketing opportunity for your business. At Connect the Dots Promotions we work hard to literally “connect the dots” for our clients. So, that means reinforcing brand identity and facilitating synergistic marketing opportunities by connecting clients with great promotional opportunities. And, in this case, it is not only a great chance to effectively market your brand but also an opportunity to support a great local organization. Participation will get your company’s name out in the community. Also, it will also present an opportunity to enjoy time with your staff. Further, you will make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness with your tax-deductible sponsorship.

So, if you or someone you know is interested in participating in the walk, marketing their brand, or learning about diversified marketing opportunities, we encourage you to contact Connect the Dots Promotions. We would love to share about sponsorship opportunities with UMOM that will extend your brand’s recognition within the community.